Dan Wright

This really needs to be a 3.5-star book. Or three for most people and four for the exact target audience.

Right. If you don't like manga, don't read this book. There are things that will drive you up the wall, absolutely nuts...because they will seem like madness to someone who thinks along the lines of Western books and comic books.

Also, if you're an adult reading in adult mode? This will also drive you up the wall.

That being said, if you know manga and are a teen, this is a decent to good read. Trapped on Draconica throws off the mindset of adulthood and wallows in teenagerness. Everything teens like to do when thrown into a situation they don't understand is here. But everything that annoys adults about teenagers is here, too, from the attitude to the goofy decisions that make perfect sense at the time. It's almost scary.

The only thing I really wanted was more polish to the language, to make it easier for my adult brain to read. It wasn't a problem with grammar or spelling or anything, just the style...it sounded a lot like a teenager, through and through. I loved the style when it started out, but I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes later on...just as if I were listening to a teenager go on and on...the author was so far into the mindset that I had trouble with it after a while.… (mais)

If you're looking for an easy to read story - you've found it. It's light-hearted, not too complex, yet still manages to stir emotion in the reader. There's not a lot I can say about it, because I enjoyed it - there's not a lot to complain about.

The characters reflect the spirit of the story, and while they aren't incredibly complex, they are quite enjoyable to read about. Except that I don't understand why Kalak wasn't just left behind as soon as the other characters met him. He stands for pretty much everything the other main characters are against. But he does become a more likeable character in time. The main problem that I have with the characters is that they don't slowly develop, but every now and again have an emotional growth spurt - which means that they occasionally do things that they wouldn't have done before with very little warning.

The story itself is a nice one, kind of similar to Star Wars, but with dragons and swords instead of spaceships. There's not a lot I can say other than I enjoyed the story, although I was disappointed at who two of the main characters turned out to be towards the end. But people don't always get together when we want them to. There was a couple of Formatting errors - a few typos - no more than I would expect really, but the text was a little too close too the margin, which was distracting at first, although I quickly forgot about it.

The final thing I want to discuss before I finish is the illustrations. While the book would stand alone without them, I found that they added a layer of depth to the book that really helped intensify the emotions that the particular scenes convey. I also liked the fact the the style of the illustrations changed just enough to match the mood fo the scene it described - while staying cohesive overall. I spent the first ten minutes I had with this book just looking at the illustrations.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was easy to pick up after a break in reading, and the illustrations were a nice touch. The bad guy was a little too similar to Darth Vader, but the majority of the characters were easy to like. If you want to read something that doesn't require too much thinking - just enjoyment - then this is a good one for you.… (mais)

I am always looking for books that will appeal to my 8 year old son (and my male students). It seems like there is an abundance of "girly" books, but a very limited selection for boys. I'm not in the market to give my kids (or the ones I teach) books that are overly gory and full of suggestive content. They get more than enough of that from public television and video games. When I received the request to read and review The Wild Adventures of Eli Johnson and Curly Bill by Dan Wright, I was elated to have the opportunity.

Originally, I handed the book to my son and asked him if he wanted to read it first, but he freaked out when he saw how many chapters were in the book (50). Now, mind you, the chapters are 1-2 pages long! But I guess that equates to Moby Dick length in the eyes of a lazy 8 year old. I decided it would be best if I read it aloud to him before bed time each night. That way I could read it for the review, and I could get his opinion on the book since he is the target audience.

He loved this book! From the first confrontation in the saloon, he was engrossed in the plot. I would only read a few chapters a night (I had my own reading to do), which often left him begging for me to read a few more pages. He was predicting and anticipating what would happen-- there were great cliffhangers at the end of most of the chapters. We even found ourselves laughing hysterically at Sal the donkey and Miner Mike. A donkey that chews tobacco and sits at a table is hysterical, I don't care who you are! There were also lessons about ecological preservation and our responsibility to nature. Pretty hard stuff for a book intended for 8-11 year olds.

If you're expecting an epic novel full of deep characterization, you're not going to get it with this book and that is okay. Curly Bill is a nice balance to Eli and he does manage to teach us a few things-- preserving nature, PETA friendly relationships with wild animals, etc. There were certainly lessons you could discuss based on the characters' actions. The humor was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Just when things would seem to get a little heavy, Miner Mike would enter and offer up the perfect comic relief. And I can't forget about Sal... hysterical.

There were also some pretty diabolical villains in the story. Three in fact: One Arm Jack, Rattlesnake, and Horseshoe. They were cut throat. There is also a one-eyed grizzly bear after Eli. The book read like an elaborate version of a bedtime story, which I really liked. It would be too long to read in one sitting for a younger child, but it was perfect for nightly readings.

I loved the fact that my son begged me to keep reading each night! That in itself gives this book 4 stars in my eyes. Anything that makes a young child--boy or girl-- want to read should win an award. With so many distractions thrown at our kids, it's nice to have a wholesome book to offer our younger readers. There was plenty of adventure and six shooter action to make this book seem "mature" for their young palates, but it was still appropriate for the intended age group.

Anyone with a son between the ages of 8-13 should get a copy of this book. Your child will love it.… (mais)